Could Coulter or Limbaugh be held liable for inciting violence?

[Rocknrule]

In the past, makers of violent movies and videogames have been sued for allegedly inciting school shootings. None of these lawsuits ever succeeded, of course, because in addition to the whole personal responsibility thing, upholding such a case would represent a direct assault on the 1st Amendment.

Now by the same logic, would Limbaugh or Coulter get off the hook if they inspired an act of violence and were sued by the victim's families? I think the circumstances would be different, because while videogame makers don't actively encourage people to commit violent acts (in fact, actively they discourage it), RW hate radio does, so there is malicious intent.

[Atman]

1. Violent retching and convulsing, maybe.

Not to mention those who gouge their eyes out at the site of Coulter.

[Rocknrule]

2. I would love to see pigboy on trial for inspiring the OKC bombing

[BOSSHOG]

5. Interesting proposal

Those who support the party of honesty and integrity never take responsibility for anything. And many who got up in arms about the OKC bombing fail to accept that one of their own did the bombing and they also would vehemently oppose any effort to hold limbaugh responsible for that atrocity or for anything else. They sent him their prayers after he got outed for his drug use. They are the same people who want to lock drug abusers up and throw away the key. I wonder how they will react when he gets outed for anything else.

[stanwyck]

8. Aren't we about to hear more about the

connection between Turner and rightwing support groups? Seems like his son was on TV over the weekend hinting that his dad might be ready to talk about funding - and its surprising source.
The money trail with McVeigh has never been fully reported. The guy was out of work for a couple of years but able to travel and buy supplies.

[Initech]

3. If anything, we could get Coulter, Falafel O'Reilly, Limpballs, etc...

for selling this crappy war to the brain-dead American public. The US Nuremberg-style trials await!!

[onehandle]

4. Contact their sponsors.

Hit them in the pocketbook that they hold so dear.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. If they actually incited violence

Saying something to the effect of "Senator so-and-so really needs to be killed."

Has either of them said anything like that prior to someone being attacked?

[Pharaoh]

13. yes coulter has espoused

poisoning judges and shooting liberals often..............

she should have been arrested by homeland security long ago, and would have if she would have said those things about republicans.......

[noonwitch]

19. I don't think she's ever been specific as to which liberal, where or how

If she said to a conservative group "You should all go tomorrow to Bill Clinton's house and stab him to death", that would be inciting a specific crime if the group followed up on it. She'd be as guilty as Charles Manson is of killing Sharon Tate.

I think Ann would argue that when she says that all liberals should be killed, or she wished the terrorists had crashed into the NYT building instead of the WTC, she is just using violent inmagery to make a literary point, not actually suggesting people act in this matter. It's more of a Henry II/Becket kind of thing, where Henry goes off about Becktet in a rage, then his soldiers take it upon themselves to act because they thought Henry wanted Becket dead.

[Pharaoh]

20. your defending coulter?

Boy us liberals are just too nice :rofl:

[Rocknrule]

26. Rush allegedly helped motivate McVeigh to bomb OKC

[SCantiGOP]

7. anybody here heard of free speech

It applies to their side as well.

[stanwyck]

9. True. But we also now have The Patriot Act

which could catch even "their" side in its net - due to its wide interpretation of terrorist activities.
Wouldn't that be ironic?

[Rocknrule]

10. Well, according to the Patriot Act

people who support * are never terrorists, so that wouldn't work

[Robbie Michaels]

11. While We're At It

How about adding Chris Simcox to the list. This nutball started The Minuteman after he went apeshit days after 9/11.

[Ian David]

12. They should come with labeling-- just like violent video games

Two words: Oklahoma City.

[Rocknrule]

14. The difference is, VVGs do not, nor do they try to, incite violence

[Ian David]

16. There is ONE video game that OPENLY tries to encourage actual killing...

US Army video game draws flak

A computer game devised by the US Army has come under fire from parents anxious that it glorifies violence.

The army hopes that the game, America's Army, will help it to attract the tens of thousands of young people it needs to join its ranks each year.

The game allows players to go through a virtual army enlistment and basic training.

More controversially, they then go on to more advanced training, including marksmanship.

The shooting part of the game is so realistic, the computer screen even moves in time to the digital soldiers' heavy breathing.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2438695.stm

[Rocknrule]

21. The ironic thing is, this game is made by the very people who oppose

video game violence

The US government

[Ian David]

23. I called Hillary's office about this one and left her a voicemail n/t

[Solon]

17. Of course they do...

Won't someone think of the Mushrooms and Turtles, please? ;)

[Rocknrule]

22. Yea, think of Bowser and Robotnik and Sweet Tooth!

[RethugAssKicker]

15. Dont forget that maniac Michael Savage !

He certainly should be publically hanged !

[TexasLawyer]

25. And don't forget Michelle Malkin--

who's latest stunt was to publicize the personal contact information of her enemies.

[Cleita]

18. If there is no law for putting people in harms way there should be.

Every time I read about some freepers wanting to blow away an immigrant or a liberal for no reason other than being who they are, I feel if anyone has instigated this mentality, they should be as guilty as the party threatening to commit such acts.

[Rocknrule]

24. I actually do want to see a lawsuit against Limbaugh over OKC

It may not win, but it would send a message, a warning shot if you will, to these people that sane Americans are not going to tolerate them making death threats and hate speech on the airwaves and thinking they can get away with it because they are Republicans.